Turin NY: Report from the Ridge

I’m optimistic that this winter’s rain is behind us. The turning point was 5pm last Saturday in Turin NY, when it turned to heavy wet snow at Snow Ridge. I know this because I checked the webcam repeatedly, willing it to be so, willing it to be snow.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one watching. Blue and his brother Stefan called me right after the changeover. We made plans to meet up for first chair the next day.

It was a sleepy Sunday morning at the Ridge when I pulled in at 8:30. There were about 4 other cars in the parking lot and a similar number of people occupied the lodge. Blue and Stefan weren’t far behind me. By the time we were ready, the Ridge Runner was spinning.

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Snow Ridge: No Bad Days

Last week seems so long ago. It was -10 degrees and across the Northeast snow was falling. In the Tug Hill region of New York, some places got more than 3 feet of lake effect.

I’ve had more powder days at Snow Ridge than any other mountain. When I saw they were running the Snow Pocket lift for the first time this year, I knew we were in for a good time. For his birthday, I bought my friend Alex a lift ticket, and a little bit of Snow Ridge magic.

Much of the drive from Utica to Turin is through the farmland and forest. It’s a sure sign you are getting close when the walls of snow along the road grows taller than your vehicle. The sun was peeking through the clouds as we parked.

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Snow Ridge Opens 2015

Snow Ridge plays a unique role in the life of a hardcore NY skier. In a far corner of the state, the small ski area stands as a beacon of hope during the early season or times when powder is scarce.

Nick-at-Snow-Ridge-opening-2015

Because no matter how the season has gone to date, or what the current weather pattern, there are, almost always, a few months when cold air blows across the unfrozen waters of Lake Ontario and delivers powder on the Tug Hill Plateau.

In fact, consistently bad ski weather in the form of warm temperatures, can actually increase the chances that the magic will happen. And that’s exactly how it came down last week.

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